When it comes to PC audio, I’mharder to please than a wine connoisseur at a Kool-Aid convention.CreativeLabs’ FourPointdigital speakers ($150) make the grade by a mile. With robustsound, rich bass tones and exquisite highs, these are the bestspeakers to be had in this price range. Key features include theability to accept 2xS/PDIF input from a Sound Blaster Live card,remote master in-line volume control for all four speakers, and asubwoofer.

J.W. Dysart, asoftware analyst and Internet business consultant, has written formore than 40 publications, including The New York Timesand The Financial Times of London. He is also a columnistfor our sister publication, Entrepreneur’s Start-Ups.